Apparatus for the manufacture of hats



Oct. 31, 1939. F. "r. STACK APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS INVENTOR AA/h 2.5m 6'12 w Q9 Original Filed Dec. 18, 193

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1939 11 UNITED STATES 2,178,111 APPARATUS Foa THE MANUFACTURE or HATS Frank T. Stack, Norwalk. Conn, assignor to Hat Corporation of America, Norwalk, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Original application December 18, 1937, Serial No. 180,589. Divided and this application July 2, 1938, Serial No. 217,120

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hats. and particularly to a process and an apparatus for forming a beaded edge on the brims of hats. This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 180,589, filed December 18, 1937.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide hats with beaded edges for the purpose of improving the appearance and of having the socalled tied edge which improves the brim shape retaining characteristics of the hat. The usual practice in obtaining this effect was to fold back the outer marginal section of the brim and to superpose the. same upon the mainsection of the brim, and to then either felt the turned back marginal section into the main brim section or to sew the two superposed sections together. Such sewing led to an unsightly appearance and did not come into general favor. The felting together of the superposed sections could only be done by highly skilled workers with very careful and costly manual operations, and therefore was used only in expensive hats.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a hat having a beaded edge for improved appearance and with a tied edge for improved brim shape retaining characteristics, and to do this in a simple and inexpensive manner with simple and inexpensive apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing a brim with a beaded edge without the necessity of folding over a marginal section of the brim and felting or sewing the same into the main section of the brim.

In achieving this object there is provided as a feature of the invention an improved two-part iron adapted to confine the outer section of a felt hat brim and. having a grooved means for forming a beaded edge on the hat solely by ironing.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing such a bead forming iron designed so as to be spaced from the crown when operating upon the brim. This permits-great flexibility in use, because divers widths of brims may be operated upon with the one iron and brims of irregular wide and narrow contour may be ironed without the danger of adverse interference by contact with the crown.

A further feature of the invention consists in the provision of. a two-part iron of the above character in which a novel grooved roller is embodied for forming the beaded edge on the brim.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing an advantageous means for confining and pressing the outer perimetric portion of the brim in the forming groove in such a way that the edge will not adversely fiow or be squeezed lat-. erally during the ironing, and forming operation.

Other objects and features will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear view of the present preferred form of the novel iron showing the same in operative position with a felt hat brim.

Fig.2 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the iron in a partially open or expanded position.

' Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the iron shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of the iron.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing another modified form of the iron.

Fig. 6 is a side View of the iron shown in Fig. 5, with the lower member removed to more clearly illustrate the'bead forming grooved roller.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view of a finished brim with the novel beaded edge formed by the improved iron and process of the present invention.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detail it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, which is merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and first to Figs. 1 through 3 for the present preferred embodiment of the invention there is shown a felt hat I2 having a crown l3 and a brim 14. The brim includes an outer edge l5, a marginal section l6 extending from the edge a quarter inch; or similar short extent, and an intermediate section I! between the marginal'section and the crown. As shown at the left in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2, the brim is formed slightly thicker as it approaches the edge. ening of the outer section in the regular working of the hat, and without recourse to folding back and superposing a brim margin, prior to the formation of the beaded edge I8 by an apparatus to be described hereinafter, is not absolutely necessary. Preferably, however, the brim I4 is formedsomewhat thicker in the outer section Such a thickthan in the rest of the brim, as shown, to be more Developing a somewhat thicker outer section to the brim in the regular working of the hat can be done with slight added effort and cost; whereas, the usual formation of a beaded edge by folding back and felting the margin of the brim into the main section thereof is a slow and costly process. Hence, the latter have been built only into expensive hats. With the present processes it is possible to provide a simulated felted edge on low priced hats which greatly improves the appearance thereof. Further, the formation and working of the edge with the resulting rearrangement of the furs in the edge produces a tied edge which greatly improves the shape retaining characteristics of the hat.

Broadly, it may be stated that the present invention discloses an apparatus for flowing or working hat material from the intermediate section I! into the outer marginal section I6 and bulging the same into a beaded edge I8. By making such a product, with a bulged beaded edge I8, it is possible to use standard hat irons, whereas the usual felted edges made by folding back an outer extra marginal section require special cones and must be forked with extra wide brims up to the final folding back operations.

The apparatus provided by the present invention for forming the beaded edge I5 is an iron I9 having an upper member 20 and a lower member 2| connected to and movable toward and away from each other. The upper member has secured thereto a conventional handle 22 by which the same may be readily manipulated.

On its under side the upper member is provided with projecting section 24 having a main operating face 25 preferably curved upwardly to generally conform with, and adapted to engage the upper side of the intermediate section II of the brim I4.

Of importance it is to be noted that the design of the iron I9 is such that when associated with a hat, the inner side '26 of the upper member 29 is spacedfrom the crown I3. Further, no recourse is made to the side 25 engaging the crown to locate the iron upon the brim. Great flexibility is thereby given to the use of the iron as the same may be used to iron brims of irregular, wide and narrow contour without danger of the iron adversely contacting with the crown I3. The main operating face 25 on the projecting section 24 of the upper member, which engages only the intermediate section I1 of the brim, is, as shown, preferably connected to the side 26 of the upper member by an upwardly curved face 21.

Formed in the operating face 25 of the projecting section 24 so as to engage and receive the outer marginal and perimetric portion I6 of the brim I 4 is a bead forming groove 28 curved to correspond generally with the circumferential curvature of the brim. As shown, a continuing portion 29 of the operating face extends upwardly beyond the groove to terminate in an outwardly extending shoulder section 30.

The lower member 2I is formed with a main operating face 32 complementary to the main operating face 25 of the upper member 20 and is adapted to underlie the intermediate and marginal sections I1 and I6 respectively of the brim. It will be noted that this face 32 has a continuing portion 33 extending upwardly beyond the groove 28 to terminate in an outwardly extending shoulder section 34 underlying and engageable with the shoulder section 30 of the upper member.

The under side 35 of the lower member is made fiat to rest upon a suitable supporting table 36.

The design of the upper and lower members 29 and 2I respectively is such that when the shoulders 39 and 34 are in abutting relationship, as shown in Fig. 1, the operating surfaces 25 and 32 are spaced just sufficiently to receive therebetween the brim I4 of the hat, and the continuing portions 29 and 33 of the operating surfaces are in engagement.

With the above construction, after the iron I9 is expanded or opened, see Fig. 2, with the upper and lower members 29 and 2| spaced from each other, the brim is positioned between the operating faces and the iron is closed, see Fig. l, to confine the brim and especially the intermediate section I1 thereof between the operating faces 25 and 32. It is to be particularly noted that when the iron is in the closed or operative position with respect to the brim, an outer or upper side wall 38 of the groove serves to abut the brim edge I5, and at its lower extremity serves to engage with the main operating face 32 of the lower member. In abutting the outer edge of the brim the wall 38 serves to space the upper and lower members from the crown I3 of the hat and serves also to properly locate the projecting section 24 relative to the margin of the brim.

It is also to be noted that the continuing portions 29 and 33 of the main operating faces 25 and 32 extend upwardly beyond the groove 23. This is very advantageous in that the edge I5 of the brim is thus very effectively confined in the groove 28 to prevent an adverse lateral flow thereof when the same is ironed into the groove.

To connect the upper and lower members 20 and 2I respectively so that the iron I9 may be expanded or opened there are secured to the lower member 2I in the shoulder section 34, a pair of screw studs 39 which extend upwardly to pass freely through holes 49 in the shoulder section 39 of the upper member. Heads M on the screw studs 39 serve as stops to limit relative movement between the upper and lower members 20 and 2I respectively of the iron and to maintain the same in proper lateral association.

For heating the iron I9 a suitable electrical heating unit 42 is, as shown, preferably inserted in the upper member 29 and provided with a cable connection 43 to be attached to any suitable source of current. With this construction, by moving the iron I9 to a closed position prior to its association with a hat brim I4, the lower member 2I will be likewise effectively heated. If desired, the iron may be heated from an external source but the unitary heating element 42 shown is preferred.

When the hat brim I4 is confined in the iron I9 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the projecting section 24 of the upper member 29 presses and flows material from the intermediate section I! and bulges up the outer perimetric marginal section IS in the form of a bead I8. Manipulation of the iron backward and forward around the brim works and presses the formed bead to effect an improved tied edge.

If desired an iron 45 of modified construction, such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, may be utilized to form the beaded edge I8 on the brim. This iron 45, like the iron I9 first described comprises an upper member 46 and a lower member 41. As shown, the lower member 41 is of the same construction as the form shown in Figs. 1

through 3 and includes a flat under side 48, a 75 '52 of the upper member.

the iron" 451130 work and press a beaded edge main operating face 49 and'a shoulder section 50 connected to the main operating face by an upwardly extending continuing portion thereof.

The upper member 46 also, is of the same general configuration as the form of iron l9 first described, having an inner side 52, adapted to be spaced fromv the hat crown I3, ,a projecting section 53 with a main operating face 54 engageable with the upper side of the hat brim M, a shoulder section 55, and a suitable handle 55. Likewise, as in the form, first described, a pair, of screw studs 51 havingheads 58 are secured to the lower member 41 and extended upwardly to pass freely through holes 59 in the upper member to permit opening andclosing of the iron. I

In the modified iron, however, there is provided in the upper member 45 in addition to an integral bead forming or clearance groove 60,

a grooved roller Bl having inner and outer flanges 62 and 63, for forming the beaded edge IS on the brim. As shown, this roller ispositioned in a recess 64 in the operating face 54 of the upper member intermediate the front and rear ends of the groove 60 and is mounted between arms 65 of a yoke member 65 secured to a screwstud 6'! inserted through a hole 68 in the inner side A head 69: on the screw stud engaging an internal flange in the hole 68 limits movement of the roller 5| toward the brim and the lower member, while a coiled spring H on the stud and confined in'a recess H2 in the upper member between the yoke member 56 and the flange 10 serves to yieldingly maintain the roller in an outward and operative position with respect to the brim and the lower member. If desired the position of the roller may be adjusted by turning the screw 61.

With this modified iron 45, as in the iron 19 first described, the outer portion of the brim is positioned between the main operating faces 54 and 49 of the upper and lower member. The iron is then moved to a closed or operative position, as shown in Fig. 5. In this position the intermediate section I! of the brim is forced into the groove 13 in the roller 6| by the inner flange 62 and into the aligned integral groove 60 by the projecting section 53.

It is to be especially noted that the outer flange tinuing portion 5| of the operating face 49 on' the lower member extends upwardly beyond the grooves 60 and 13 to further confine the brim edge and prevent an adverse lateral flow thereof when the same is ironed into the grooved roller 61.

While the groove 60 formed in the upper member 45 has been shown of such a size that it will qualify the bead l8 worked and pressed on the outer perimetric marginal section N5 of the brim, it is within the purview of the present invention to make this groove 50 larger than the groove 13 in the roller 6l' so that it will entirely clear the bead 18 formed at the edge of the brim.

The backward and forward manipulation of projecting section 'l 9.

on the brim is exactly the same as the manipulation of the iron l9. The heating of the iron 45, however is preferably accomplished through a pair of electrical heating units 14 positioned in the upper member on either :side of the hole 68. Any suitable ycable connections may be provided for attaching the heating units to a source of current.

Whilethe present invention as disclosed in Figs. 1, 2,3, 5 and 6 is used in forming a bead upon a hat having apronounced curled ed e, it should be-understood that it may also be used in providing a beaded edge on hats with a substantially fiat brim. A modified iron 15 for such a'purpose is disclosed in Fig. 4 which in nearly all particulars is the same as the apparatus shown in Figs; 1, 2, 3, 5; and 6, differing primarily in narrower upper and lower members 11 and 18 so that no curl isimparted to the section of the brim, adjacent the bead. The iron, as will be readily appreciated, may be used to form and set a bead cloth on a fiat brim and on the curled section of a brim. The present invention, therefore, it will be readily appreciated is applicable to form a bead upon the outer margin of a hat brim even though the brim margin is at various widths .relative to the crown, and eventhough the brim has both flat and curled sections.

As shown the modified form of iron [6 disclosed in' Fig. 4 includes an upper member '47 and a'lowermember 18. These members are narrower than the upper and lower members in theirons heretofore described and are operable upon a narrower outer section of the brim than those irons. This factor permits greater flexibility in that the iron maybe easily applied to brims having a fiat outer section as well as brims having a curled outer section.

The upper member has formed on the under side thereof a projecting section 19 adapted to form a depressional groove 8|! in the upper side of the brim inan intermediate section l1 spaced inwardly a predetermined extent from the extreme outer edge l5 thereof. Formed in the upper member adjacent the projecting section 19 is a groove 8l'similar in form and function to the groove 28 disclosed in Figs. 1 through 3 and having an inner side wall 82 extending to the Defining the outer side of the groove 8i is a wall 83 which engages the extreme outer edge 15 of the brim.

The lower member 18 is formed on its upper side with a flat operating face 84 adapted to underlie the projecting section 19 and the groove 80 to cooperate therewith in forming the bead l8 on the outer perimetric marginal section N5 of the brim.

As shown the upper member 11 is provided with a downwardly extending shoulder section 85 adapted to engage a shoulder 85 on the lower member spaced downwardly relative to the operating face 84. When the downwardly extending shoulder section 85 of the upper member and the shoulder 86 on the lower member are in engagement as shown in Fig. 4, it is seen that an effective seal is provided against an adverse lateral flow of the extreme outer edges of the brim during the ironing operation, and that the projecting section 19 while pressing into the brim is supported so that it will not be forced completely through the brim.

For maintaining the upper and lower members 11 and 18 in registry while permitting the same to be moved toward and away from each other there are provided a pair of screw studs 81 having heads 88, secured to the lower member and extending upwardly through holes 89 in the shoulder section 85 of the upper member in the same manner as the screw studs in the irons heretofore described.

In the operation of this modified iron 16 the projecting section '19 by forming the depressional groove 80 in the brim, forces and bulges the fur therefrom into the groove 8|. Manipulation of the iron backward and forward as in the case of the irons heretofore described, further works and presses the bulged or beaded section l8 of the brim to eifect an improved tied together condition therein.

It should be particularly noted that with the various types of apparatus hereinbefore set forth the upper members 20, 46 and 1'! have the common characteristic of engaging an intermediate section I! of the brim (intermediate the outer edge of the brim and the crown of the hat) and of pressing and flowing this intermediate section toward the bead or bulge section near the outer edge of the hat. Thus, the first step in the pressing is to effect a deformation of the intermediate section of the brim and a flowing of the fur or material of the hat toward the outer section thereof to pass an added amount of material to the bead or bulge. This added material indirectly serves to impart greater strength to the marginal or beaded section. Subsequently, upon further movement of the upper member toward the lower member and upon movement of the iron backward and forward, the groove section of the upper member presses upon the material bulged at the outer edge of the brim to work and form the same into the finished beaded edge.

The process of manufacturing hats by means of the present apparatus and the product obtained by such process are described in greater detail and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 180,589. However, it should be noted that through the use of the novel apparatus according to the present invention a new article of manufacture is obtained consisting of a hat with a beaded edge 18 which is actually bulged out of a substantially flat brim I4. This article may be manufactured very economically and has the rich appearance of those hats wherein a brim margin is folded back, superposed upon the main section of the brim and either felted into or sewed upon the main section of the brim. These latter types of construction are very costly and are provided only in the so-called higher priced lines of hats. The bulged or beaded edge provided by the present invention may be manufactured very economically and thus be provided in low priced hats.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An iron for forming a beaded edge on a hat brim initially formed with an unbeaded edge, comprising a member having an operating face; an opposed cooperating member having an opposed operating face provided with a bead-receiving groove facing said first-named operating face;

means on said opposed member, contiguous the inner side of said groove and projecting toward said first-named operating face a greater extent than the adjacent portion of said opposed operating face spaced inwardly from said groove, said projecting means being adapted to form a depressional groove in the surface of the brim and to provide a bead on the edge of the brim in said bead-receiving groove; and a wall on one of said members for engaging the outer edge of the brim and spacing said projecting means inwardly therefrom.

2. An iron for forming a beaded edge on a hat brim having an intermediate section and a marginal section, comprising upper and lower members mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other and adapted to receive a hat brim therebetween, one of said members having a bead-receiving groove therein facing said other member; an operating face on said other member having a portion opposed to and extending transverse said groove; and projecting means contiguous said groove at the inner side thereof, said projecting means and said operating face converging relative to each other toward said groove to form a depressional groove in the surface of the intermediate section of the brim and provide a bead on the adjacent marginal section of the brim facing said groove.

FRANK T. STACK.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,178,111. October 51, 1959.

FRANK T. STACK.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Pa 5,

0nd column, line 25, for the word "cloth" read both; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that .the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and. sealed this 12th day of December, A. D. 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

